Florida HB 1117: Pine Tree Water Control District, Broward County

Bill Text

HB 1117 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1117-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to offenses evidencing prejudice; 2
amending s. 775.085, F.S.; expanding grounds for the 3
reclassification of offenses to include acts based on 4
the gender or gender identity of any person; 5
specifying that the reclassification must occur if the 6
offense was based in whole or in part on specified 7
characteristics of any person; providing and revising 8
definitions; providing that it is an essential element 9
of a certain offense that the defendant perceived, 10
knew, or had reasonable grounds to know or perceive 11
that a person was included in a certain class of 12
person; amending s. 775.0863, F.S.; replacing the term 13
"mental or physical disability" with the term 14
"disability"; revising the definition of such term; 15
specifying that the reclassification of a certain 16
offense must occur if the offense was based in whole 17
or in part on a disability of any person; providing 18
penalties; amending s. 817.034; replacing the term 19
"mental or physical disability" with the term 20
"disability"; reclassifying certain offenses committed 21
against a person with a disability; amending s. 22
877.19, F.S.; expanding the data the Governor is 23
required to collect and disseminate to include 24
specified incidents; providing an effective date. 25

HB 1117 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1117-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 27
28
Section 1. Section 775.085, Florida Statutes, is amended 29
to read: 30
775.085 Evidencing prejudice while committing offense; 31
reclassification.— 32
(1)(a) The penalty for any felony or misdemeanor shall be 33
reclassified as provided in this subsection if the commission of 34
such felony or misdemeanor evidences prejudice based in whole or 35
in part on the gender, race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, 36
religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, 37
or advanced age, or gender identity of any person the victim: 38
1. A misdemeanor of the second degree is reclassified to a 39
misdemeanor of the first degree. 40
2. A misdemeanor of the first degree is reclassified to a 41
felony of the third degree. 42
3. A felony of the third degree is reclassified to a 43
felony of the second degree. 44
4. A felony of the second degree is reclassified to a 45
felony of the first degree. 46
5. A felony of the first degree is reclassified to a life 47
felony. 48
(b) As used in paragraph (a), the term: 49
1. "Advanced age" means that the person victim is older 50

HB 1117 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1117-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

than 65 years of age. 51
2. "Gender identity" means a person's gender-related 52
identity, appearance, or behavior, regardless of whether such 53
gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior is different 54
from that traditionally associated with the person's physiology 55
or assigned sex at birth. 56
3.2. "Homeless status" means that the person victim: 57
a. Lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime 58
residence; or 59
b. Has a primary nighttime residence that is: 60
(I) A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter 61
designed to provide temporary living accommodations; or 62
(II) A public or private place not designed for, or 63
ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human 64
beings. 65
(2) A person or organization that establishes by clear and 66
convincing evidence that it has been coerced, intimidated, or 67
threatened in violation of this section has a civil cause of 68
action for treble damages, an injunction, or any other 69
appropriate relief in law or in equity. Upon prevailing in such 70
civil action, the plaintiff may recover reasonable attorney fees 71
and costs. 72
(3) It is an essential element of this section that the 73
record reflect that the defendant perceived, knew, or had 74
reasonable grounds to know or perceive that the person victim 75

HB 1117 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1117-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

was included in a within the class delineated in this section. 76
Section 2. Section 775.0863, Florida Statutes, is amended 77
to read: 78
775.0863 Evidencing prejudice while committing offense 79
against person with mental or physical disability; 80
reclassification.— 81
(1)(a) The penalty for any felony or misdemeanor shall be 82
reclassified as provided in this subsection if the commission of 83
such felony or misdemeanor evidences prejudice based in whole or 84
in part on a mental or physical disability of any person the 85
victim: 86
1. A misdemeanor o